Never Forget
by arceetra
Summary: 18 years ago today more than 3000 families would be grieving their lost of the many civilians who were caught in the terror acts of Manhattan. Firefighters, Police, Paramdeics, and FBI agents died that day to save people and never come back home. I made this quick story to just let myself loose and put all of my thoughts in this. No offense is meant in this story.


**Minutes before the incident**

"American 11 are you trying to call?"

"The cockpit is not answering their phone!" Yelled another voice on the radio.

"...Our number 1 has been stabbed and our 5 has been stabbed!" Replied a voice on the radio

"Dan Bueno calling from Boston Center. We have a situation with American 11 a possible hijack." Said a another male voice.

"American 11 is off the grid, attempting to contact."

a few minutes passed in cold silence.

"Um.. Dan, a plane just hit the world trade center." replied a male voice

There was a pause in the Radio

"What?"

"Was it a 737?"

"Oh god ...oh my god."

"United 175, New York. We have a problem here right now, We might have a hijack over here...two of them."

* * *

Gumball stood on the streets of Manhattan covering his ears as the first tower fell.

"**GOD!**"

_Some things are beyond, beyond comprehension _

Gumball made his way to try to figure out what had happened, the city was quiet all morning. Today that wasn't the case. As he reached the blocked area by police he could hear people scream.

"Where were you?!" A man asked

"How could you let this happen?" Said a woman near him

"I-" Gumball started

The two ran away before Gumball could even finish processing the thought. Gumball saw the last remaining Tower in flames

"I.."

* * *

_But how does this happen? Only madmen could contain the thought, execute the act, fly the planes._

_Nobody saw it coming, Nobody could stop it, but we are here now._

_You cannot see us for the dust but we are here._

_You cannot hear us for the cries but we are here._

* * *

Gumball didn't think he acted.

As he carried the steel frames of what was left of the building to try to help whoever was left.

Everything destroyed, the walls and frames were crowded with firefighters, paramedics, and police force.

Freedom was attacked.

Rob stepped into the remains of the first tower, too scared. Even those who we thought were our enemies were here. Some things surpass rivalries and borders.

Because the story of humanity is not written in towers but in tears.

And that moment Rob realised that even the worst of us, the mistakes, and the rejected, can still shed a tear for humanity.

* * *

_Because we are here_

_Because compared to the Paramedics, the police, and the firefighters. We are small. Those who face danger and fire without armour or fear._

_Those who step into the darkness without assurance of ever walking out again, because they know there are others waiting in the dark._

_Awaiting salvation. Awaiting word. Awaiting Justice_

_Ordinary men, Ordinary Women, made extraordinary by acts of compassion and courage._

_And terrible sacrifice._

* * *

The 12 strangers waited behind the Pilot's cockpit.

"We've voted, and we're going to try to take the plane back. It's the only way to stop them from hitting washington. I love you." Said one of them as he hung up the phone.

"I love you."

_Ordinary men, Ordinary woman. Refusing to surrender. _

_Ordinary men, Ordinary woman. Refusing to accept the self-serving proclamations of holy warriors of every stripe, who announce that somehow we had this coming._

* * *

Gumball did his best to help, as he carried more frames and debris out of the way of paramedics. He saw a kid, sitting behind a car crying.

"Hi… listen I don't think you should be here. This isn't a good place for you to-"

"My..My dad, he went in there. He said he had to get someone, he'll be back in a minute! He promised me"

"Listen..I-"

"A-And if I wait and stay he'll be okay because I'll do what he told me and.."

The kid saw the body of a man carried away by Paramedics. Gumball just did his best to hold him and try to make him feel safe, as tears rolled down his eyes.

"**DADDYYYYYYY!**"

* * *

_There are no words, there simply are no words._

_The deaths of innocents and the death of innocence._

_And the air filled with questions_

* * *

Gumball helped himself with a half filled water bottle, he saw a young woman being carried away, she was in good condition, and Gumball prayed to God that she would make it.

"Is it going to happen again? What do I tell my children? Why did this happen?" She asked

All he could do was look down at the floor and hold her hand.

There are no words.

Gumball walked up to see Rob staring at the sky that was barely visible because of the debris.

He's the only one who could know because he's been here before. Gumball wished he had not lived to see this once, he couldn't imagine it seeing it twice. he just couldn't imagine.

* * *

_What do we tell the children? _

_Do we tell them Evil is tangible with defined borders and names and geometries and destinies?_

_No, They will have enough nightmares._

_Perhaps we tell them that we're sorry._

_Sorry we are not able to deliver unto them the world we wished them to have. _

_Or Perhaps we tell them that we love them, and that we protect them, and that we will give our lives for theirs and do it gladly. So great is the Burden of our love._

_In a Universe of Gameboys and VCRS, it is perhaps an insubstantial gift. But it is the only one that will wash away the tears and knit the wounds and make the world a sane place to live in._

_We could not see it coming, no one could, we couldn't stop it either._

_But we are here now, with you._

_Today, tomorrow, and the day after_

_We live in each blow you strike for infinite justice, but always in the hope of infinite wisdom._

_Because we live as well in the quiet turning of your considered conscience._

_The voice that says __**ALL WARS HAVE INNOCENTS**_

_The voice that says __**YOU ARE A KIND AND A MERCIFUL PEOPLE **_

_The voice that says __**DO NOT DO AS THEY DO, OR THE WAR IS LOST BEFORE IT EVEN BEGUN**_

_Do not let that knowledge be washed away in blood._

_When you move, we will move with you. Where you go we will go with you, Where you are we are with you._

_Because the future belongs to ordinary men and ordinary women, and that future must be built free of such acts as these, must be fought for and renewed like fresh water.  
Because a message must be sent to those who mistake compassion for weakness. A message sent across six thousand years of recorded blood and struggle._

_And the message is this:_

_Whatever our history, whatever the root of our surnames, we remain a good and decent people, and we do not bow down and we do not give up. The fire of the human spirit cannot be quenched by bomb blasts or body counts._

_Cannot be intimidated forever into silence or drowned by years._

_We have endured worse before, we will bear this burden and all that come hereafter, because that's what ordinary men and women do. No matter what. This has not weakened us. It has made us stronger. We will stand tall._

_Stand Tall._


End file.
